1.Field of the Invention
The invention generally concerns protective materials and, in particular, materials for protecting a body by changing the trajectory of a bullet before it can penetrate the body.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many forms of bulletproof protective garments are known in the prior art. For example, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,771,384; 3,061,839; 3,829,899; 3,867,239; 4,198,707; 4,292,882; and 4,316,286. Typically, these garments are fashioned to be worn by an individual to protect his body from a bullet. The garments are generally made from a plurality of plates formed of metallic or other suitable material which are fastened together in a shape to fit the body of the wearer.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,771,384 discloses a protective material formed of a multiplicity of layers of woven nylon fabric bonded together by a synthetic resin applied to the fabric in straight equally spaced parallel lines. An intermediate layer is joined to the layer next above it along lines which lie substantially midway between the bond lines which join the intermediate layer to the layer next below it. Thus, the fabric comprises a series of shallow, flat pockets lying in staggered relationship into which are inserted flat plates or inserts made of a fiber glass polyester laminate.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,839 discloses a fabric of double ply having face and back fabrics formed of heat shrinkable yarn woven, stitched or otherwise joined together at spaced apart rows and at spaced apart width at regularly spaced intervals to form pockets of desired dimensions into which ridged armor panels are inserted and then the fabric is heat shrunk around the panels.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,829,899 discloses bullet proof body armor formed of a pad comprising a number of loose sheets woven with heavy gauge nylon threads. The pad is enclosed within a cloth envelope having a pocket formed therein in the plane of the pad for removably receiving a semi-flexible metal insert plate. A number of the plate sections are arranged in the common plane, in edge-to-edge contact one above the other. Each of the edge-to-edge joints is covered by an overlapping cover plate and a flexible cloth-like sheet is secured to the exposed faces of the plate sections to secure them together and permit flexing of the plate transversely to the joints.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,867,239 discloses a flexible armor material comprising an array of platelets with contoured edges or reinforced joints supported by a flexible membrane.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,198,707 discloses a soft protective material having double layers of mutually moveable rectangular or square protective plates inserted into pockets of a carrier material. The outer layers of plates are made of steel and at least portions thereof overlap in scale-like fashion. The inner layer is designed to absorb or largely destroy the impact energy of a striking bullet and is formed of a thick shock absorbing material such as a polyamide. The inner plates are arranged in a common plane and are joined together in a form-locked manner along the horizontally oriented meeting plate edges by slide joints and along the vertically oriented meeting plate edges by rotating joints.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,882 discloses a bullet proof armor comprising a laminated pad with front and rear surfaces composed of a plurality of loosely related fabric sheets woven of fibers having high tensile strength and metal abrading particulate material at the front surface adapted to abrade and condition the surface of the bullets whereby the fibers of the fabric can better grip and hold on to the bullets.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,316,286 discloses a protective plate assembly including a plurality of first plates arranged in vertical edge-to-edge relationship, each plate being formed with contiguous first and second portions with the second portion disposed at a predetermined angle with respect to the first portion such that the first plate closely conforms to the shape of the upper torso of a human being along the vertical plane. One of the lateral edges of the second portion of certain of the first plates is notched or disposed at an obtuse angle with the corresponding contiguous edge of the first portion of the first plate so as to enable the first plates to flex or hinge about the adjoining vertical edges. A plurality of second plates are disposed over the joints between adjoining edges of the first plates.
All of the above protective materials are designed to prevent a bullet from penetrating the body of the wearer by absorbing the energy in the bullet without materially affecting the trajectory of the bullet. However, a new type of armor penetrating bullet such as those coated with Teflon brand material are able to penetrate the prior art garments. Increasing the thickness of the material to stop the newer type bullet results in a very bulky and heavy protective garment which is unsuitable for prolonged use or action.